Catherine Connolly

Catherine Connolly is the tenth President of Ireland, sworn into the largely ceremonial office on 11 November 2025 after winning the October 2025 presidential election with 63.4 percent of the first-preference vote. Born in Galway in 1957, she trained as a clinical psychologist before qualifying as a barrister, and built her political career from Galway City Council, where she served a term as Mayor, through the Dail as an independent Teachta Dala for Galway West and as the first woman to serve as deputy speaker of the lower house. She ran and won as an independent, left-leaning candidate outside Ireland's traditional governing parties, and has been outspoken on Irish neutrality and on the war in Gaza.